Are You Ready to Rumble?
by Tsumina
Summary: Three years after leaving for England, Masaya returns to Tokyo and stays with Ichigo. However, fate drops Kish in Ichigo's house as well. It's the ultimate showdown for affection in the Momomiya household (RyouLettuce, PuddingTart, ZakuroPie fluff).
1. Arrivals

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Are You Ready to Rumble?

A Tokyo Mew Mew story by Tsumina

(Disclaimer: I do not own TMM)

Ichigo Momomiya stood in the crowded subway, her short form lost in a sea of people. It was about six o'clock and many adults were returning from their jobs, others were leaving home for their night shifts. It was so noisy today that her mind was buzzing, but she didn't care.

Today, Masaya was returning from England. It had been three painfully long years until he'd been able to rip away from his studies. Those advanced schools were all but easy.

The subway came to a halt and Ichigo was the first to leap out and make a run for the airport. When she reached its glass doors, someone put a hand on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss. Do you have luggage you need me to…gah?!"

She turned around and came face to face with none other than

"Ryou?!"

Indeed, it was our adorable little Ryou, dressed up in an airport uniform. He even had a nametag.

"Ryou, what are you doing here?" Ichigo asked hurriedly.

"The café's closed for the week, remember?"

"Oh yeah…"

= . = Flashback, nyaan! = . =

__

"Look what I found!" Pudding exclaimed as she walked into the Mew Mew Café. She dropped five pounds worth of fireworks on the ground, "We can have a great time with these!"

Ryou's eyes widened in horror. "You're not actually going to-?!"

BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG

= . = End the Flashback, nyaan! = . =

"Keiichiro's just about finished with the cleanup." Ryou commented, leaning up against the wall. "So what are you doing here? Meeting up with someone?"

"Masaya's visiting. Can you believe it? After all this time!"

"Heh, I can believe it, alright." Ryou restrained a grimace. What he wouldn't give to have ONE day of not having to listen to her chatter on and on and on and on about him. He was surprised he had actually forgotten Masaya was arriving today. "Well, you'd better hurry up."

"Mmhmm!" Ichigo nodded happily. She turned to leave. "I'll see ya at work, Ryou!" And she skipped through the doors.

"Isn't it enough that I can't have her without your name haunting me and rubbing it in every God forsaken day, Aoyama?" Ryou mumbled before returning to his job.

"MASAYA!" Ichigo squealed as she thrust herself at a tall, dark haired boy. He smiled down at her.

Masaya had changed a little. He was taller, perhaps by two or three inches. He still dressed the same as always, however.

"Ichigo!" he placed a delicate kiss on her forehead and hugged her tight. "I've missed you so much!"

"Oh my gosh!" she replied, "I can't believe it! You're back! It's been so long! I'm so excited! Come on, let's head home already! Come on come on come on!"

He chuckled. "Wait till I get my bag-"

"Got it!!" she announced triumphantly. And indeed, she had already seized the bag from the luggage belt and was slowly but surely pushing it towards the door at the amazing rate of two centimeters per second.

She hasn't changed a bit, Masaya noted, Still the ecstatic Ichigo I know and love.

He's changed a lot, Ichigo observed as she broke a sweat pushing the suitcase. I hope he's still the wonderful Masaya I know and love!

Ryou tried to keep a straight face as he saw Ichigo throwing her back out to help Masaya with the luggage with its owner trying to offer help in the process.

"Need some help?" he asked, stepping in and wheeling a baggage cart beside him.

"Oh, thank goodness, Ryou!" Ichigo cried out.

He didn't answer. He had locked eyes with Masaya, and they were almost scowling at each other. Ichigo timidly tried to break the silence with an "Um…" but failed miserably.

"We meet again, Ryou."

"Indeed."

"You've been keeping an eye on Ichigo like you promised?"

Ryou smirked. "Of course. I'd never let _anything_ happen to her."

Masaya frowned. "You've been paying her well?"

"She deserves all ten dollars for every week, if not more."

"Hm…"

"Hm…"

They stood there for what seemed like hours while Ichigo shifted her weight from one foot to the other, humming loudly, hoping that she could snap them out of it. When she thought she couldn't take it anymore, she resolved to scream as loud as she could.

"MASA-- OW!!!"

Someone plowed into her from behind. It was Pudding…on a unicycle.

"Hullo, Ichigo!!"

Masaya and Ryou both blinked and turned to look at the monkey-like child who had proceeded to juggle bowling pins.

"Hello, Pudding." Ryou sighed, helping Ichigo up.

"Good to see you, Pudding." Masaya said, handing Ichigo her purse.

"Welcome back, Masaya!!!" Pudding shrieked, waving vigorously but in the process dropping the bowling pins on her head. "Gah! AAH! GYAA!!"

Ichigo, Masaya, and Ryou looked on as poor Pudding fell off the unicycle, completely knocked out. A passing group of people stopped to stare.

"………" Ichigo exclaimed.

"………" Ryou agreed.

"………" Masaya interjected.

The awkward silence was broken as Lettuce walked in, carrying a poster that read 'WELCOME HOME, MASAYA!'.

"Hello, Masaya! Good to have you ba- AAAHH!!" True to her clumsy nature, Lettuce tripped over Pudding's unconscious form. "Oww…"

"Careful, Lettuce." Ryou said, helping her up as he had done with Ichigo. Lettuce responded with a light blush and thanked him. As she did so, Mint and Zakuro walked in through the glass doors.

"Aw, we missed the reunion of Mr. And Mrs. Aoyama!" Mint moaned with remorse. Zakuro, of course, did not show that she shared in the disappointment.

"Hey," Zakuro said emotionlessly to Masaya. He waved back.

"Well, shall we get going?" Ichigo asked.

= . =

They had all decided to walk home, even Ryou, who carried a motionless Pudding carefully in his arms. They had decided that it was best to leave the unicycle and bowling pins behind. Ichigo and Masaya exchanged loving glances every half minute, which made Ryou want to gag. But if Ichigo was happy, he should be too. He kept a smile plastered on his face. Lettuce and Mint walked ahead but Zakuro led the way.

"Well, nothing much has happened," Ichigo explained to Masaya. She flicked the bell on her neck. "I still have the cat bell you gave me."

"Wow, you still have it?"

"Of course! I've kept it safe and clean this entire time. Oh, speaking of cats, I forgot to tell you this. I didn't completely get rid of my cat genes. They're never really going to go away, but at least I won't turn into a cat anymore, right? That's so embarrassing…but I think I can deal with the cat ears popping out." As if on cue, her cat ears did pop out from all her excitement.

Everyone couldn't help but laugh, even Ichigo. But as they laughed, her ears perked up. And she turned around, as if looking for something.

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Ryou asked worriedly.

"There's someone following us. I can hear them." She slowly looked up into a nearby tree. "Show yourself!" she yelled.

The stranger did, and everyone gasped in surprise.

"Kish?!"

"Hey, Ichigo!" he said, waving and smiling, "What's up?"

"Kish, what are you doing here?" she frowned.

"I thought I'd stop in and visit, ya know?" he grinned even wider and jumped out of the tree, landing safely on the pavement. "Missed you a ton after I went back home." He walked up to her and gave her a little kiss on the cheek.

"Eek! Kish, don't do that!"

Masaya and Ryou both clenched their fists but didn't say anything.

"Oh, I brought some friends too." He gave a shrill whistle and Pie and Tart also came out of the tree. Kish said, "We're all going to stay at your house, Ichigo!"

"What?!" she protested, "No! Masaya's going to be over! I can't have three aliens around my house in the meantime! No, Kish! You guys can't stay!"

"What a rude old hag," Tart smirked.

"I'm not old, I'm not a hag, and YOU'RE the one that's being rude!" Ichigo snarled.

"Well, what if Tart and Pie didn't come?" Kish interrogated hopefully.

"Wait!!" Tart yelled, "Where are we supposed to stay?" Kish shrugged, truthfully not caring.

"With me, of course!" squealed Pudding, who had revived while no one noticed. She had even jumped out of Ryou's arms and given Tart a big hug. "Welcome back, Tar-Tar!"

"Eh…hi…"

"I have lots and lots of beds at home because my cousins visit often," she piped, "but they're not here, so you can pick one! Oh, this'll be so much fun!"

Tart had no dislike for Pudding. In fact, if he had any fondness for any of the Mew Mews, it was for her. No matter how rotten he had been to her in the past, she acted like nothing happened. Still, he didn't want to let on that he liked her. "Do I have to?"

Pudding froze and sniffled. "You…you don't want to stay with me?"

"Congratulations," Pie murmured, "You made her cry."

"What…no! Come on, don't cry! I'll stay with you, alright? Is that better?"

"Yes oh yes oh yes!" She seemed to instantly stop being sad and she wrapped her arms around his middle. "Yahoo! Tar-Tar is staying with me!"

Ichigo's face was turning a lovely crimson color. "It doesn't matter that Tart isn't staying! I don't want to have Kish and Pie in my kitchen, scaring off my parents!"

"Pie, find a place to stay." Kish said. His comrade did not reply.

"Okay…fine. Which one of you will let Pie stay at your house?"

"Not me." Zakuro replied instantly.

"Not me." Mint repeated.

"No room at the inn!" Pudding said, contradicting the fact that she had plenty of beds to spare. No one seemed to care.

The spotlight was left on either Ryou or Lettuce.

Lettuce bit her lip. She knew that Ryou had a small room. He couldn't fit Pie in there. And even if he could, she knew he'd be quite angry about having this unexpected visitor.

"I-I'll…um…" she whispered.

"What, Lettuce?" (doesn't matter who said it)

"I could…um…"

"What?"

"I'll-"

"Lettuce, we can't hear you."

"PIE CAN STAY AT MY HOUSE!" she finally forced herself to say. The volume of the statement was enough to knock everyone off their feet. "Whew…"

"Okay, thanks Lettuce," Ichigo said, "But what about Kish? My mom would flip if she saw Kish chasing me around attempting to kiss me! And Masaya would probably be uncomfortable about that too!"

Masaya, in the meantime, had attracted a mob of girls and was trying to flee them and get back to the group.

"He'd probably be so annoyed or sickened that he'd want to leave!"

This made Ryou think. And think. And think. It was a golden opportunity. His eyes would have sparkled, but in anime, I don't see guys do that a lot and plus, this is Ryou we're talking about. He cleared his throat. "Ichigo, surely you could shelter this poor alien for a few nights? What with your loving and kind and caring heart and all."

Poor Ichigo. This was supposed to be a happy day for her! She whimpered and hid her face in her hands.

(Tsumina: That's the end of the first chappie! How'd you guys like it? Please review and include any suggestions! I want to be a great writer when I grow up and this is awesome practice! Shout outs to my sister Meggy and my almost sister, Shijimi-chan! Love you both!)


	2. Carrot Cakes

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Are You Ready To Rumble?

A Tokyo Mew Mew Story by Tsumina

Ichigo's basement was not the sort of basement you'd feel uncomfortable in. The boxes were neatly lined against the walls and there was a peaceful warmth that always lingered there in the summer. Lit by a single ceiling light, it was still a little dark.

"You sleep here, Kish." Ichigo said, opening the door for him. The alien peered in.

The truth was that he was disappointed he couldn't get a better room. At least there was a blanket down there for him to rest on. He didn't find it too homely. Even if he was an alien, he knew comfort. This was not comfort.

"I like it," he lied as he floated down the stairs. By the time he reached the bottom, Ichigo had already continued further into the house, holding Masaya protectively by the hand. Kish sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He'd make do.

"This is your room, Masaya!" Ichigo revealed an enormous room decorated in blue wallpaper. Several eJump posters lined the room and coated the closet door. The bed literally had no wrinkles on it. Ichigo had, of course, brought the ironing machine and pressed the sheets to perfection. Cat plushies rested on the pillows, their wide eyes staring in the direction of the door.

"Wow, Ichigo!" Masaya exclaimed, "It's perfect! I love it! You shouldn't have made it so lovely though. You've really outdone yourself!"

"Only the best for my Masaya!" she replied, smiling wide.

Now, all of you are probably calling Ichigo mean things because she shoved Kish in the basement while she's pampering Masaya. Just to make sure the reviewers don't ask me to murder Ichigo in nasty ways, let me just point out that Kish DID turn up unexpectedly, DID kiss her against her will, and DID come uninvited. Then again, Ichigo was still being quite nasty to him. In fact, she was being so terrible even SHE realized it.

"Um…Masaya? When you're finished unpacking, I'll be downstairs in the kitchen, alright?"

"Of course, my princess," he grinned at her as she closed the door. She giggled hesitantly in reply.

She made her way down the stairs and she carefully opened up the basement door. There was Kish, broom in hand, sweeping an enormous pile of dust into a corner. It was neater down there than before. In fact, Ichigo figured that she wouldn't mind sleeping there at all. He turned around, his face a little dirty and some spider web tangled in his hair.

"Oh, hi." he said boredly.

"Um…hey…Kish…" she said in a hushed voice, "I'm sorry you have to stay down here. Do you want to sleep in my room instead?"

No sooner had she said this, Kish had dropped the broom and teleported inches from her face, "You mean it? I really get to share rooms with you? Wow, Ichigo, this is so sudden! I can't believe we already have this sort of intimacy and trust and--"

"Don't wet yourself," Ichigo scolded, "If you sleep in my room, I'll sleep on the couch."

"Aw…I'm sure there's plenty of room, though!"

She sighed. "So do you want to sleep in my room or not?"

He thought about it. And thought some more. Heck, he thought a lot on it. Finally, he replied in the negative and explained, "I've already tidied up around here enough to the point where I like it. And don't worry, I'll forgive you…"

"Thanks, Kish."

"…if you give me a kiss." he puckered up his lips and closed his eyes, but when he opened them again, the girl had vanished back up the stairs, the sound of her bell tinkling down the hallway.

Ichigo entered the kitchen and froze. She hadn't prepared a snack for Masaya!

'Do not forget Kish,' her mind checked her.

'But he--'

'--is your guest and should be treated with as much respect as Masaya, correct?'

She sighed, defeated. What recipes did she know? Let's see…cupcakes? Jello molds? Pound cake? No, not pound cake. Her eyes glittered as she squealed, "Carrot cake!". And seeing as this was her best recipe, she set to work, taking out the materials she needed. Eggs, flour, carrots of course! And vanilla and butter, the baking sodas and powders. She had it memorized, almost, but she opened the recipe book, just in case. (Please note that I do not have the recipe memorized and following Ichigo's upcoming cooking steps will not make a carrot cake). She was just about to start when Masaya strolled in, his hands in his pockets and his normal, warm smile brilliantly painted onto his face.

"Hey there, what are you doing?" he asked, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She blushed, leaned her head against his arm, and replied, "A carrot cake."

"Ah, a cake!" he exclaimed, "I love baking. Can I help?"

The only thing better than baking a cake for Masaya was baking a cake WITH Masaya for Masaya! She nodded and scanned the recipe sheet. "Okay, we need three cups of flour."

"I've got it!" he said, picking out the correct measuring cup. "One, two--"

"ICHIGO!" Kish suddenly sprinted into the kitchen and jumped up on the counter, much like Shamu the whale does at Sea World shows. However, his dramatic entrance caused the last cup of flour to be knocked into Masaya's face, coating the poor boy in white.

"Kish, look what you did!!" Ichigo shrieked, patting the flour off Masaya.

"I'm soooooorry…" Kish grinned and helped her remove the flour. "That was so rude of me. Please, allow me to help bake the cake in recompense." He bowed low to hide the growing smile.

Ichigo's conscience began hauling her unwillingly from the answer she wanted to give. "Y-Yes, Kish. You can help bake the cake." It felt like the hardest words she'd ever had to say. "Masaya, could you please add that last cup of flour?"

"Mmhmm," he replied a little grumpily. His eyelashes were still frosted with powdery flour but he did as she asked without hesitation.

"Next," Ichigo continued, "We'll add the butter." She looked up and saw Kish quickly plop a stick of butter into the mixing bowl, then flash a challenging smirk at Masaya. Masaya narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

"Ooookay…now two cups of sugar."

Masaya reached for the measuring cup, but once again, Kish was too swift for him. Two cups of sugar sprinkled their way into the cooking mix. "This is fun," Kish commented.

"Alright, this part takes a long time. We have to mince three cups of carrots. Hn…should we use the blender for this one?" she looked up, and Masaya and Kish were quickly chopping up the carrots. Their eyes were locked with each other's, though each of them minced the carrots quite beautifully.

"No need for blenders, Ichigo!" Masaya said.

"We've got it covered!" Kish confirmed.

Each of them had finished one cup. This left one last cup to fill. They were now vigorously hacking at their carrots, each sending glares at the other, as if challenging him to finish first. Ichigo watched, wide eyed.

"DONE!" they both yelled at the same time. And in unison, they each poured their one cup of minced carrots into the bowl, panting in slight exhaustion.

"Oh, that's enough, that's enough! Too many carrots!" As she realized they were not paying attention to her, she added, "Or…we could have lots of carrots…it IS a carrot cake, right?" She giggled nervously, "Um…four eggs, now."

"Eggs?" Kish echoed, "Got ya covered, Ichigo!" He speedily cracked an egg against the side of the bowl and a perfect yolk spilled into the powdery and carroty mix. Masaya began cracking eggs as well.

Ichigo observed and counted aloud as egg yolks appeared in the bowl. "One…two…three…four…okay, guys, that's enough! That's five right there…six…Masaya, stop now! Seven…eight….nine…okay, ten eggs is fine! Kish, no, that makes eleven!" She quickly snatched the bowl away. Eleven eggs worth of yolk and egg white puddled in a syrupy clump. She sighed and began beating the mix together with a spoon.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ichigo," Kish chimed, "Just use the electric mixer thing!" He plugged in the electric mixer and it whirred mechanically, the rotating metal utensils working menacingly. Ichigo's eyes widened, while once again, Masaya's narrowed.

"B-Be careful, Kish!" the little Momomiya cautioned as she began to slowly inch behind Masaya.

"Careful? Of course I'll be careful! I…oops!" Attempting to make it look like an accident, Kish tripped forward. Had Masaya not moved back, his shirt would have been caught in it. "I'm sorry!" Kish faked. "Let me just adjust the settings on this so no one gets hurt." WHIR WHIR! It spun faster and again, he attempted to trip onto Masaya once more.

"Watch it!" Ichigo's fiancée growled, stepping backwards, "Hey, turn that off!"

"It's…it's out of controooool!!" Kish wailed as he chased Masaya around the kitchen, the mixer still revving madly. Masaya fled for his life around and around the room.

"KIIIIIIIIISH!" Ichigo yelled as loud as she could. However, it wasn't loud enough. She was about to yell even harder, but before she could, the extension wire on the mixer was stretched and Kish was yanked to the ground. "GAAAAAAH!!!"

=.=

"I told you to be careful," Ichigo growled, "But nooooooo…"

She stretched a Band-Aid across the cut that Kish had gained on his forehead. He winced and yelped. "Ow! That hurts!"

"It's your fault, you baby."

"I was just trying to help," he whimpered, staring at his shoes. He put on a puppy face and sniffled, looking up at her with watery eyes. Masaya, who stood next to Ichigo, rolled his eyes and continued to scowl at the alien. Not only was flour still caught in his eyelashes, eyebrows, and bangs, but the last egg in the carton had found its way onto his shirt, and the entire container of milk had accidentally been dumped on his head.

"I think a kiss will make my boo boo feel better right away," Kish suggested.

"Then you'll have to heal slowly." Ichigo replied, snapping the first aid kit shut and placing it back in a drawer. The timer on the oven chirped 'PING!' and she opened the oven.

The cake was enormous. After all, there was almost a dozen eggs in it. She raised an eyebrow. It looked a little…drippy.

"I'll taste-test it!" Kish cried out, jumping off the counter. Before he could stick a finger in the gooey substance, she slapped his hand away. "No, let's invite everyone to come and eat with us, okay? I don't think we could finish it by ourselves." Frankly, she didn't WANT to eat it, and if Masaya and Kish were to share one amongst themselves, the cake would be all over the kitchen. Again.

She picked up the phone and dialed. Kish, cocking his head, asked, "Who're you calling?"

Ichigo didn't have time to reply. Her phone call had already been answered.

"H-Hello?" Lettuce's shy voice greeted.

"Lettuce, this is Ichigo."

"Hello, Ichigo."

"How is everything with Pie?"

Pie was actually still inside her room. Only God knew what that strange and sulky alien was doing. They hadn't spoken a word to each other since the arrival home. He had never made eye contact with her. It was a little sad, she had to admit.

"Everything's…quiet."

"Good to hear. Hey, why don't you bring him over to my place for a while? I…I mean, Masaya, Kish, and I made a cake."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"Cool! I'll call up everybody and we'll all get together."

"Alright"

"Ciao!"

Lettuce hung up the phone. This couldn't be too hard. All she had to say was that Ichigo was having a get together and they were invited. Simple as that. She stood outside her bedroom door and raised a fist to knock, then she stopped. What would he say? What would she do if he didn't want to go? And if he DID want to go, they'd have to walk side by side for fifteen minutes to get to Ichigo's house. What would she say? Would she have to say anything? Did he expect her to? What if he was asleep right now and she woke him up? What if he was grumpy and mean the rest of his stay?!

"For the fifteenth time," Pie said from inside, "You can come in."

"Oh!" she quickly entered. Pie was sitting on the bed, his hands on his knees. He steadily watched her, his eyes glinting with alertness.

"Can I help you?" he mumbled.

"I…um…I got a…call and…uh…I…"

"Hn?"

"Ichigo called and…um…"

He sighed and said in an unusually tired voice, "It's not like I'm going to eat you. No need to act like it."

Lettuce blushed from embarrassment. "Ichigo is…is inviting us for cake…Would you…like to…?"

He got up and walked past her. As he did so, it felt like her heart had stopped beating. No, Lettuce wasn't heart stricken. She was just scared to death of him. Tremors traveled down her spine.

"Let's go," he murmured. He seemed to stare an icy hole right through her. She wanted to faint. To at least close her eyes. Anything but walk for fifteen minutes with him.

"Why don't you teleport there?" she whispered, "I still have to…uh…p-powder my nose and get dressed."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you not already dressed?"

She blushed, "Y-Yes, of course, but I need to put on more p-presentable clothes. It's a party a-after all, right?"

He shrugged and disappeared. Lettuce's knees went weak. She sank to the ground, trembling. Yes, she was overreacting, but why don't you try living with the fact that there's an alien in your house? She inched herself towards the phone and slowly dialed.

"Hi, you've reached the Mew Mew Café! This is Keiichiro. How may I help you?"

"K-Kei-Keii-"

"Miss Lettuce?" he said, his voice as drenched in concern as his lemon cakes were in icing. That's a LOT of icing.

"I-I-Is Ryou there?"

"Yes, m'lady. I'll get him as quickly as I can."

She heard a little click as the phone was set down. Moments later, Ryou's clear voice answered the phone.

"Lettuce?"

"R-R-R-Ryou?"

"What's wrong? Has he done something to you?!"

"N-No…I'm j-j-just…j-just…"

"Lettuce, what's wrong?"

She was blushing furiously. His voice was glorious over the phone. No, must focus! Focus focus! "Ryou, I'm scared of him! I don't know how I can take this!"

"Okay, okay. Calm down. I'll be over there in a little while. Where is he right now?"

"G-Gone. He went to Ichigo's house for a party. I'm supposed to be going too…"

"Well if you don't want to go, call Ichigo and let her know, but I'm coming over there, alright?"

"Thank you so much, Ryou. Thank you so so so much…"

(Tsumina: Okay, that's all for today. I'll type more tomorrow, depending on if I get anymore reviews, okay? I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had a blast thinking up the kitchen scene. There'll be a lot more where that came from . I mean…think about it…there's the party coming up, and then it'll be bedtime, and there's always breakfast, an outing….eyes sparkle …it'll be grand! But only…ONLY if people review, okees? I don't like typing up stories if no one will read them, though I'll have to admit, this is very entertaining for me. Take care, everyone! Stay off drugs, stay in school (or work), and don't do anything stupid! Ciao!)


	3. Messes

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Are You Ready To Rumble?

A Tokyo Mew Mew Story by Tsumina

"Are you sure that's cake?" Zakuro inquired, raising an eyebrow at the runny mess contained in a baking pan.

"Of course it's cake!" Kish shot back, "I helped make it and it probably tastes glorious. You can't judge it by how it looks."

"It looks like pig slop," Pudding admitted without a second thought. Ichigo clenched her fists and blushed.

Mint looked up from her cup of tea. "Ichigo, your pastries are actually good, most of the time. Why the sudden change?"

"Aw, come on! Will someone at least _taste_ it?" Kish growled, "Can't be THAT bad."

Pudding plopped some of the cake onto her saucer and crammed a spoonful of it in her mouth. As everyone watched her carefully, she swallowed and made a face. "I don't think that's cake! Ew ew!"

Everyone knew that Pudding tended to overreact at times, but they also knew that that girl could intake five pounds of sugar a day and, due to her high metabolism, keep a slim figure and still crave some more. She'd most likely know what a cake was and wasn't supposed to taste like.

Mint, though quite smug and sarcastic, didn't want to be too rude to Ichigo, so she ventured to take a bite as well. She shut her eyes tight and gulped it down. The thick, clumpy, sweet batter ran down her throat like cough syrup and she couldn't help but sputter. "Ichigo, what did you put in this?!"

Zakuro pushed her saucer away from her and looked up at the ceiling and Mint and Pudding promptly followed her example. Tart smirked. "Figures that an old hag couldn't cook worth--OUCH!" Kish brought a fist crashing down on Tart's head. "Don't insult Ichigo's cooking!"

"Actually, I just read out the ingredients," Ichigo mumbled, but she caught her breath as she saw Masaya spoon the dessert onto his saucer. He delicately poked a spoonful into his mouth.

'Ugh, it's horrible,' he thought to himself, 'But I can't bring her spirits down.'

"Pretty good!" he smiled. His girlfriend's face lit up joyously. Zakuro, Mint, and Pudding sighed. They knew he was telling a white lie. NO ONE could actually think it was delicious.

Instead of using a saucer, Kish plunged a spoon into the batter, crammed it in his mouth, and without swallowing, announced, "It is amazing! It is awesome! I've never tasted anything better! I'll have some more, just because it's so great!" And he began shoveling the nasty mix between his lips.

"Hey, I was going to have a second helping too!" Masaya said, grabbing his spoon and also tossing dollops of cake onto his tongue. He wanted Ichigo to feel appreciated and that HE appreciated her more than Kish did. And so, an unofficial 'cake' eating contest ensued between Masaya and the infatuated alien.

Tart blushed from embarrassment for his comrade, and Pie just leaned up against a wall and frowned. Zakuro took her leave of the party and marched outside the door without a backwards glance. Mint tended to Ichigo, who had fainted on the couch. Pudding and Tart sat on the table and cheered the contestants on.

=.=

Lettuce slowly opened the door, though she knew who she was expecting. Ryou was standing outside on the porch. It was not usual for her to see him in casual attire. He usually wore that weird black outfit, but today, it was torn, baggy jeans, a white t-shirt, and a pair of tennis shoes.

"Hey," he said in a quiet voice that matched the still night.

She opened the door for him and he strolled inside, his hands deep in his pockets.

"Hello…" she whispered back.

Ryou looked around her house. This was his first time to visit one of the Mew Mews' houses. He had fully expected to come to Ichigo's first, but the Midorikawa residence was not so disappointing. It held a faithful Chinese theme in all the vases and decorative dishes in the curio cabinets as well as the rugs and furniture.

"You have a nice house," Ryou commented, "It's very…China-ish."

"Th-Thanks…my mom is Chinese so…yeah…"

He turned back to look at her. Her face was reddening and her gaze was pointed fixedly at the beige carpet.

"Y'alright? He scared you that badly?"

"I'm sorry…"

He frowned. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault. Hey…" Ryou held her hand and tried to look into her eyes, but Lettuce's stubborn green optics refused to glance upwards. He tucked a finger under her chin and tilted her head upwards.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for or afraid of."

Her heart was beating quickly, her blush deepened and she trembled when she felt his touch. Everything about him was peaceful and gentle, yet he had street smarts and knew when to take charge. That's why she loved him so much.

"Hey, I'm kinda hungry," he said, "I was about to have dinner when you called. Rushed here right away."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"Didn't I just tell you not to be sorry?"

"Okay…well…I can make you something. What do you feel like eating?"

"Anything you can make well."

"Oh, I just remembered! My mom left some homemade nikkuman (steamed pork buns) for me. I can't finish all four of them. Would you like me to warm one up for you?"

"As I said, anything you can make well."

"Yes, alright…please wait here on the couch and make yourself comfortable. I will be back shortly."

Ryou sat on the couch as she instructed, and he sank deeply into the super soft cushion. His knees were level with his face.

"Eh…"

He struggled to get up, but not only was the cushion extremely squishy, it was very smooth. His hands slipped and he sank further into the cushion.

"L-Lettuce…?"

She was in the kitchen, standing in front of the microwave. It was very old fashioned and therefore quite noisy. Ryou's cries for help were lost in monotonous hums.

'I can't believe Ryou's in my house,' she thought to herself, 'And he came because I needed him!'

The blush, which had disappeared from her face, was renewed and her cheeks burned. She crossed her arms over her chest and cleared her throat. She couldn't act silly. She couldn't mess up tonight. The microwave oven signaled its final seconds with a PING and she placed them on two saucers.

"Lettuce…_Lettuce…LETTUCE!" _ Ryou's hand waved above the couch as it seemingly swallowed him in its leather jaws.

She heard him yelling and hoped that he wasn't hurt. "Ryou?! Are you okay?!" She sprinted in, the nikkuman bouncing on their saucers, still pouring steam. As she approached the couch, she tripped. The nikkuman went flying through the air and landed on Ryou's face while Lettuce fell into his lap.

"Aaaaargh!!" he yelled.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Omigosh, I'm so sorry!"

=.=

Ichigo woke up, her head spinning. Mint's face was the first thing she saw, along with the rice paper fan she was using to fan Ichigo's face.

"Oh, you're awake!"

"Mint…please tell me they're not at it anymore…" she pleaded.

"No, not anymore."

"Miiiiiiiint…" Kish moaned from the floor, "Bathroom…where is it again…?"

"For the seventh time, that way." She pointed behind her.

"Uuugh…I'm so full…I can't eat another bite…" he complained as he used his hands to drag himself bodily to the restroom. Masaya stirred on the couch, drops of the cake batter still on his mouth.

"Masaya, are you alright?"

He opened his bleary eyes. The spoon was clutched weakly in his hand. He looked awful. "Me? Yeah…never better…your cake was so good, I think I overate…"

She frowned and, with Mint and Pudding's help, edged herself onto Masaya's couch. "You don't have to pretend…I know it was awful."

"Well, yeah, that's true…" he sighed, "But I didn't want to bring you down."

"Masaya, you can't bring me down. I didn't even _make _the carrot cake and--"

He pressed his lips gently against hers and her eyes widened in surprise, but of course, she did not pull away. She went into a dreamy trance and was lost in a sea of dreams. (Mint had covered Pudding's eyes and hauled her and Tart out the door to give the couple some alone-time.)

"Ichigo…" Masaya whispered as his lips left hers.

"Masaya…"

"I-Ichigo…" His voice was suddenly rigid.

"Masaya?" Her eyes opened slightly.

"I-Ichigo…I don't feel so….BLUCK!!"

Half the digested carrot cake splattered down Ichigo's front and on her neck. She sat there in shock, not sure what just happened.

"Oh God…I'm so sorry, Ichigo!" Masaya said, reaching for his hanky in his pocket to clean her up.

"No, it's alright." She stood up and ran to the bathroom. That was probably the grossest thing that had ever happened to her. What happened to the romantic moment? One minute, her lips were lovingly pushed against his, and the next minute, Masaya's vomit was soaking into her blouse. She gripped the silver doorknob of the bathroom and yanked it open.

There was Kish, leaning over the toilet, puking his guts out. He turned and looked at her sheepishly. "Why, good morning, Ichigo. The sight of your glorious face lifts my spirits." He wrinkled his nose. "Though I can't say the same about your scent. The only thing that smell lifts is the acid in my--BLUCK!!" He quickly leaned over the toilet bowl again, coughing and sputtering.

Ichigo hiked the stairs and ran into her own bathroom , throwing her blouse, capris, and undies to the floor.

"Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew!" She jumped into the shower and hot water spilled over the curves of her body. "I can't believe this is happening!!"

=.=

Ryou winced as Lettuce's fingertip rubbed a soft, white substance on his cheek.

"It stings…" he said.

"It'll stop in a while," Lettuce replied. She took another glob of cold cream and applied it to his face. "I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to…"

"Nah, it's fine. It wasn't all that bad. You were just trying to save me, right?" He grinned and she couldn't help but feel a little happier.

"Nikkuman?" she offered. He laughed and picked up the pork bun, and taking a big bite, said, "Mmm…that's pretty good for a homicidal nikkuman."

"Tee hee…" Lettuce giggled, "Alright, let me just finish up with the cold cream." The other burn was between his eyes. She applied the ointment and Ryou watched her steadily. Those eyes of his had her in a trance. The way they looked like beautiful skies encased in delicate marbles was breathtaking. His blonde bangs hung over those marbles like healthy fields of wheat…

"Gaah! My eye! That burns!"

"I'm sorry!!!"

"Cold cream…in my…eye!!"

"I'm so sorry! I'm so so sorry!"

=.=

Ichigo padded back down the stairs. She was now dressed in her pink pajamas but her hair, still very much wet, was kept up in a towel turban. She felt a lot fresher and not so freaked anymore.

"BEGONE, DEMON!!"

"Mom? Are you home?" Ichigo stopped at the bottom of the stairs and saw Sakura Momomiya, her mother, brandishing a broom and cornering Kish near the front door.

"Mom, don't hurt him!"

"He's a demon, or a mole creature…he's not normal!!" her mother shrieked.

"Ichigo, help me! Your mom's going psycho!!" Kish pleaded.

"Mom, I'm serious! Don't hurt him! That's Kish and he's a good friend of mine! He's an alien, but he's a friend! Please put down the broom! Please!?"

Sakura lowered the broom, a sugar sweet countenance taking her over. "Oh, a friend? It's so nice to meet you, Kish. Won't you have some tea?" Kish stared at her in shock as she continued. "Oh, don't be shy! There's nothing to worry about. We have _plenty _of tea and I'll be more than happy to make you some. Here, I'll leave you alone with Ichigo and then I'll call you when I'm finished!"

She bounced off the scene and Kish sat, traumatized, on the ground. "Dang…she's an exact replica of you! She's just missing a few screws." Ichigo helped him to his feet.

"Kish…you smell awful."

"Got a bath I can use?"

"Can't you just use the hose outside…?"

"Nope."

"Fine. It's upstairs."

Kish teleported upstairs and Ichigo could hear him explore the rooms. She walked into the living room. Masaya still sat on the couch and he was fast asleep. Even in sickness, he was a glory to behold, and she was glad he was hers, and that she was his. She sat next to him again, then went rigid. He still smelled like regurgitated cake.

'Kinda ruins the whole effect,' she thought to herself. Then, a light bulb lit over her head and she dug into her pockets, then fished out a small bottle of perfume. (Don't ask why she has the perfume. Fate just makes it happen, alright?!) Carefully, she allowed a mist of apple cinnamon aroma to descend on him. His eyes fluttered open.

"Ichigo? What was that…?"

"N-Nothing!" she thrust the bottle back into her pocket and smiled.

"BWAAAAAA KA MWEEEEEE!!!" Kish screeched upstairs.

"What's wrong with him now?!" Ichigo sighed as she got up and ascended the stairs, the bell around her neck ringing lightly. His voice was coming from her room. From the bathroom. She knocked, but was only greeted with more wailing.

"I'm coming in, Kish!" She pushed open the door.

The bathtub was teeming with bubbles and in the sea of soapiness sat Kish. His hair was soaked and topped with the result of using all of Ichigo's bubble bath solution. Ichigo blushed. "K-Kish?!"

"Hn? Did you need something?"

"Are you okay? I heard screaming."

"Oh, this? BWAAAAAA KA MWEEEEEEE KA LAAAAKAAAALAAAAY!!"

She covered her ears. "Yes yes. That!"

"Heh…that's just a folk song from my planet. We sing it all the time."

"Oh"

"…yeah…"

"Alright…"

"Mmhmm"

"…yep…"

"Ichigo?"

"Yes?"

"Could you…uh…"

"Oh, sorry." She blushed and closed the door.

=.=

Tart threw himself on one of the many beds in Pudding's bedroom. He was exhausted. "Does it always take two hours to feed your brothers and sisters?!"

"No, about three hours, usually! Cancha, Hanacha, Lucha, Honcha, and Heicha are growing kids. They need lots of protein and fruits and vegetables! Thanks for helping out. We make a great team, you know. You should come over more often. Did you get enough to eat?"

"I guess so."

"You only ate a piece of corn, though!"

"I'm fine." Truth was, he was starving. But the last thing he wanted was to go back down there into the sea of siblings. Pudding saw through the lie.

"Well, I've got a big stash of candy up here." She fished under her bed for a while, then hauled up an enormous burlap sack. Inside were thousands of multicolored candy drops. Tart jumped back in surprise.

"It's no wonder you never shut up! Look at all of this! And this is only your secret stash! How much more candy do you have in this house?!"

"We run out everyday. Cancha, Hanacha, Lucha, Honcha, and Heicha eat most of the candy, so I use all the earnings from my performances on the street to buy some for myself! I know it looks like a lot…I do share it with my brothers and sisters, but they only get one a night."

"But if they know where the stash is, can't they just take some whenever they want?"

"I have my ways of keeping them under control." Tart noticed a shiny metal baseball bat near Pudding's bed. "Well, don't be shy," she said, "Take as much as you want!"

He picked out a purple candy drop and slipped it into his mouth and sucked on it, then failed to restrain a grin. "Tastes better than the carrot cake, anyway."

=.=

Pie scratched his nose. Yes, he'd been there the entire time, but we all know Pie. He didn't say a word throughout the whole party, he only rolled his eyes once in a while and twitched in disgust as he witnessed the eating contest. He even chuckled when Masaya threw up on Ichigo, but still, he was not noticed and frankly, we could go through the entire story and leave him out. But, we won't.

As Ichigo went upstairs to check on Kish, she left Masaya and Pie alone in the living room. Masaya, now fully rested, looked around the room and noticed the tall alien standing in the corner.

"You've been there the entire time?"

"Mhm."

"Aren't you going to go back to Lettuce's house?"

Pie stood beside the couch. "As none of you noticed, my communicator rang during the vulgar eating contest. Akasaka, the owner of the Mew Mew café, told me that Lettuce was no longer able to have me in her abode. I shall be staying with Miss Zakuro tonight."

"That's tough. Have you talked to her before?"

"No, I only battled with her, but we have put our combat behind us for this visit."

"Well, you should go. Make friends with her as soon as you can, or it'll be pretty awkward."

Pie nodded and disappeared. Masaya noticed that Kish's wailing had stopped and Ichigo came down the stairs, a hard blush etched across her face. "You alright, Ichigo?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," she said, smiling nervously.

"Hm…you know, I still don't have a nickname for you."

She looked at him, quite confused as to why he brought it up. He really had no reason.

"Well, I could call you Ich."

"Ich?"

"Yeah…Ich…"

"………"

"Or not. You know, 'Ichigo' suits you just fine."

=.=

"I can't go on…can we take a rest..?" Tart panted. He lay motionless on the bed. Pudding, on the contrary, bounced on it till Tart thought the mattress would pop into a flurry of five billion feathers.

"A rest? I can't rest tonight! Wow, I've never had so many candy drops! But I guess that's because I haven't really had anyone to party so long with! I mean, look at the time! It's three in the morning already! And I've had one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve…..skip a few…..fifty four candy drops! Wowie! I think I'll have another!"

"Brother Tart…make her stop…" Cancha moaned. Hanacha and Honcha pressed pillows against their ears and Lucha and Heicha tossed and turned in their sleep. Tart snatched the sack of candy away from Pudding, who looked at him questioningly.

"What are you doing, Tar-Tar?"

"You can't have anymore! You'll get a cavity or something! You'll die of malnutrition! Aren't you afraid of any of that?"

She hugged his leg. "Wow, you always look out for me, Tar-Tar! You're like the big sibling I never had!"

He was a little flustered and he attempted to push her off, but she clung all the tighter. After ten minutes of struggle, he sighed in defeat. "Why are you so clingy?"

"………"

"Oh…she's asleep"

=.=

Ryou, at this time, now had an eye patch over one eye as well as two blotches of cold cream on his face. He held a mug of tea close to his lips. Lettuce had fallen asleep next to him, her head resting against his shoulder. Her breaths were even and relaxed. She didn't seem afraid anymore. He thought it was silly, really…the way she overreacted. It was just an alien. Pie wasn't the aggressive type from what he'd seen. Still, he liked being here, in this Chinese house, with an inside and out beautiful person. He wondered why he hadn't noticed her before. His own eyelids had begun to feel heavy. He put the tea down and closed his eyes. He resolved to sleep right here tonight, right next to Lettuce.

"Don't get the wrong idea though," he mumbled facetiously to her, "I just don't wanna get up right now."

=.=

Masaya had gone to bed and Ichigo stood up for a while to clean up after the party guests. Her parents had gone to sleep as well. When she had finished, Ichigo trudged wearily up the stairs into her room. Resting in the folds of her fluffy, pink blanket was Kish. In front of him, Ichigo's teen magazines lay wide open to pages about weight loss and what not. He looked very comfortable and satiated there

'He looks kinda…cute when he's asleep,' she said to herself. It was alright. She wouldn't wake him. She would sleep on the couch tonight.

"Good night, Kish."

(Tsumina: Wow, Ichigo must be having so much fun I am, though. I'm sorry for the excessive vomiting, but when I lead the plot in one direction, I have to keep a flow. I promise, there will be no regurgitation in the next chapter. Thanks for your reviews. There aren't many, but thanks to everyone!)


	4. Mornings

****

Are You Ready to Rumble?

A Tokyo Mew Mew Story by Tsumina

Pie hid behind a nearby flower pot, out of breath. He'd been running for who knows how long. His sensitive ears picked up every sound around him and he attempted to screen out the sounds of footsteps coming for him again. He looked up at the ceiling.

'That chandelier,' he thought in a panic, 'It makes too much noise! How am I supposed to hear--?'

Zakuro burst in through the enormous red oak doors, her eyes maliciously narrowed and her teeth bared. Two furry wolf ears pressed aggressively against her head and a tail lashed behind her.

"PIIIIIIIE!!" she bellowed. He held his breath and hoped for the best, but she paused and sniffed the air, then turned to look directly at him with a leer so scary he screamed.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

He sat up in bed. Whew. It was only a dream. Morning sunshine poured in through the giant windows of the room and left warm tracks across the sheets. He remembered where he was now. This was Zakuro's mansion. Keiichiro had showed him the way last night.

=.= Flashback, nyaan! =.=

__

Keiichiro knocked on the door of the mansion. Pie stood beside him, his arms crossed over his chest, expecting nothing special. An elderly man opened the door.

"We're here to see Miss Zakuro Fujiwara," Keiichiro said.

"Is she expecting you?"

"She'll be happy to see us, I'm sure."

They were led into the house. Everywhere Pie looked, color was splashed into the furniture. All sorts of colors of the rainbow were found in here. In the statues, the bookcases, the tables, and the rugs. It hurt his eyes to see an unnaturally happy place. As his eyes explored the residence, a figure walked down the stairs. It was Zakuro. She was wearing a simple purple nightgown and fuzzy slippers. Even without her makeup, she was gorgeous, though somewhat different.

"Oh, you've arrived," she said, walking up to them. She stared at Pie for some time. A chill shot down his spine. Her gaze was so cold and penetrating. He wouldn't be surprised if she could see right through him. She was almost like an ice princess. He wanted to shy away from her, just in case she would freeze him to death with her touch. But she was beautiful, he had to admit. He liked the way she was so slim and her hair so sleek--

=.= Abrupt End of Flashback, nyaan! =.=

"Master Pie," the feeble voice of the old man called from the hall outside, "Ms. Fujiwara would like you to join her for breakfast."

Breakfast…the ice princess wanted to have breakfast with him? He teleported out of bed and proceeded to walk out the door, almost tripping over the pajama pants he had been provided with. He didn't want to leave the room. He didn't want to look at that creepy girl, but then again, he had been enthralled by her beauty. When he went down there, would he stare or keep his eyes on the ground?

He cautiously descended the polished wooden steps and he kept a firm grip on the smooth railing. The scent of newly steamed rice was easy to follow. He loved that scent. The aroma lured him into a very decorative room. Portraits hung everywhere, each portraying a stern face of a Fujiwara family member. A chandelier hung motionless from the ceiling, its bits of glass reflecting light all throughout the room. Through the center of the area, a very long banquet table stretched. And at the end of this table sat Zakuro, already dressed in a short denim skirt and a black tank top. Her hands were in her lap, the plate in front of her extremely clean.

"Good morning," she said in her usual low and hushed voice. He nodded in reply.

"Will you please join me for breakfast?" she offered. He chose a chair close to hers. It would have been awkward, otherwise. He felt so small when he sat down. The back of the chair extended far above his head, as it did for Zakuro's.

A young lady, perhaps in her mid twenties, walked up and respectfully bowed her head to Pie, "My name is Ikumi. Is there anything you like? I'll gladly make it for you."

Pie had never before had a meal on earth. He looked at Zakuro blankly, then back to Ikumi, and back to Zakuro again. The supermodel understood and told Ikumi, "He'll have an egg, over-easy, and a cup of rice."

"Right away, ma'am." Pie could hear the sound of Ikumi's high-heels clicking against the wood floor. When he was sure she'd left, he turned back to Zakuro, who was looking intently at him. He stared back at her.

"So……" he mumbled, unsure of what to say. She was making feel uncomfortable.

"How has your planet been after the use of the Mew Aqua we gave you?" she asked. He was thankful she was able to start a conversation that was alright with him.

"Our planet has flourished beautifully. Our air is pure, the grass is healthy, and the people are happy."

"I see."

Ikumi returned with a small plate. A perfect egg rested on the side of a flawless ball of rice. He was presented with chopsticks. He looked at the two sticks, confused.

"Like this," Zakuro said, showing him how she held hers, pressing one stick against her middle finger with the base of her thumb and another against her index finger using the tip of her thumb, "And you pick up the rice like this, you see. It's very simple. Try it."

Tok, tok, tok. He kept dropping the sticks, but as many times as he failed, he did not put them down and ask for another utensil.

'Idiotic human tool…so primitive, yet so complex…' he growled in his mind.

"Like this." She reached over hesitantly, for a model was supposed to have good table manners. Then again, no one was here to please except for Pie, plain and tall. Pie was quite surprised that his skin did not frost when she moved his fingers about to position them correctly. She actually felt quite warm.

"Try now."

He clicked the ends of the chopsticks together. He had done it. A little satisfied with himself, he proceeded to trying to pick up the rice. Individual grains slipped between the wooden chopsticks and he growled out loud. Zakuro placed her hand over her mouth and looked away.

'Now I've disgusted her…" Pie thought sheepishly, looking down at his plate. His face flushed.

However, he then heard a sound he had not expected. A giggle. Zakuro was _giggling. _She had put her hand to her mouth to muffle her twittering laughter.

"Ah ha ha ha! If it makes you feel better, use your hands. No one is here to criticize you."

He smiled gratefully and set the chopsticks down. 'Better yet,' he thought, 'I had better push them faaaaar away like this…'

Zakuro giggled again. He raised an eyebrow at her. He could tell she was not one to laugh much. Yet here she was, chuckling behind her hand

=.=

Lettuce awoke, but did not open her eyes just yet. The first thing she thought was 'Oh dear…I slept with my glasses on again.' Then 'Who is this with me?'

Ryou sleepily smiled down at her, the eye patch still on his face but the cold cream dollops were gone. "Good morning."

"GWAAAA!!!" she jumped away in confusion, toppling the whole sofa over. "Wo-wo-wo-WOAAAAH!!"

"Ouch!"

They tumbled backwards onto the floor and Lettuce jumped to her feet and grabbed a nearby vase. "Who?! Who?! Who?! Wh--"

"Lettuce," he replied in shock, "It's me, Ryou! Remember?"

She lowered the vase. "………oh…"

"Geez, woman…" he stood up and righted the sofa again. "You've gotta learn to calm down."

"I'm sorry…I was a little surprised, I guess…"

He turned to look at her, but winced terribly. "Aaaargh…"

"What? What's wrong?"

"My neck…I think I hurt it or something. OW!"

"Oh dear…" Lettuce ran to the kitchen to look for the first aid kit again.

=.=

Masaya had just finished showering. He felt nice and clean for the day ahead. He buttoned up his white shirt and went downstairs. Ichigo was sleeping heavily on the couch, her hair in a tizzy. Still, he saw her as a vision of an angel.

His gaze shifted to Kish, who perched on the top of the sofa, watching Ichigo sleep. A smile was on his face and he was looking at her tenderly.

"What're you doing here?" Masaya growled.

"Well, if it isn't Barf-Boy. Great job ruining Ichigo's blouse, by the way."

"Shut up. What are you doing, watching her sleep like that?"

"Because nothing else here is interesting, except for Ichigo. I've been up for a while, already. Since before dawn. Since then, I just came down here and watched her." He tucked a lock of Ichigo's hair behind her ear.

"You shouldn't watch peoples' girlfriends like that. It's…sick."

Kish chuckled and averted his stare back to Ichigo, who snuggled deep into her pillow, sighed, and continued to sleep peacefully. "She's beautiful, isn't she? Everything about her…her voice, her smile, her hair. The feel of her skin, the sparkling in her eyes, the way her body curves--"

WHACK.

Kish fell behind the couch as Masaya's shoe conked him in the head. His impact with the ground was signaled by a loud thud. Ichigo continued to sleep.

"What'd you do that for?!" Kish hissed as he hoisted himself up. His fangs showed themselves angrily and he glared at Masaya. Masaya returned the glare with one of his own. "She doesn't want you, get it? Quit stalking her."

"You don't _own _her," Kish smirked.

"No, but I protect her."

"I wouldn't hurt Ichigo. Not in a million years. So cool it."

"Not until you leave her alone."

"Come now…you make it sound like I'm a bad guy!"

"………"

"You ticked me off the day I met you." Kish jumped off the couch and aimed a punch at Masaya's chest, but due to his experience in combat, the blow was dodged. Masaya fought back with a kick to the chest that hit its mark. Kish went flying across the room and hit a wall.

Ichigo continued to slumber through the melee. She dreamed very peacefully.

__

"Masaya!" She waved to Masaya as he walked up the street, his business tie around his neck, his suitcase in hand.

"Ichigo!" He waved back to her. He loved her house-wife outfit. It was her Mew Mew Café dress and it suited her so well.

"Masaya!"

"Ichigo!"

"Masaya!"

"Ichigo!"

"Masaya!"

=.=

"And for breakfast, we've got pancakes and blueberries, and sausages!"

Tart's eyes were bloodshot. It had been a restless night. Really really, extremely incredibly awesomely amazingly fun, but he'd gotten little to no sleep. The last thing he wanted to do was serve breakfast to Pudding's little brothers and sisters.

"Pudding…I'm sorry to say this…but I can't move an inch…" he pulled the blanket over his head and closed his eyes. "I'm exhausted.."

"I see. Alrighty!" She bounced downstairs, where all her siblings were already gathered around the table.

"Where's Brother Tart?" Lucha asked.

"He's not feeling too well. He's exhausted, so ssssssh…" she put a finger to her lips. "You guys have to be quiet while I make breakfast. I can't do my pancake flip act today, alright?"

"Awww…." Everyone groaned. Honcha got out of her chair. "Sister Pudding, I forgot to make my bed. I'll be right back." And she disappeared. She scampered upstairs and jumped on Tart's bed.

"Brother Tart?"

"………"

"Brother Tart?" she called again.

"……whaaaaaaaat…" he responded groggily.

"Are you okaysie?"

"Yeah…I'm just tired…go away…"

"Brother Tart, why do you have your hair in pigtails?"

"Because………"

"Because whyyyyyyyy?"

"Because I can."

"Oh…you know, Pudding talks about you a lot. She always calls you Tar-Tar and when one of my brothers is being bad, she always tells them they should be more like you. And she used all her money to buy candy drops for you. She shares some with us, but she doesn't eat any for herself because she says she wants to eat with you!"

Tart was blushing under the covers. Why was Pudding so nice to him? She was sickeningly sweet.

"And she draws pictures of you sometimes! She really really really really really really really really missed you."

'Why can't she hate me…?' he thought to himself, 'I've never seen her cry before. Maybe I'll make her cry! That's it!'

Hanacha ran in. "Honcha! Breakfast is ready! Oh, Brother Tart, how are you?"

"…fine….I'm just SPIFFY."

"Why don't you come down and have breakfast with us?"

"I'm not feeling good."

"You want me to get you an ice pack?"

"No."

"But ice packs help me when I'm sick and they're fun to play with too! And sometimes I put them on peoples' chairs and they jump up screaming when they sit on them. It's so funny! You should try that prank sometime, really you should! It's really cool, or should I say cold!!"

"………."

Heicha skipped in. "Sister Pudding told me to get you two and to leave Brother Tart alone."

"Thank you…" Tart moaned.

"Are you okay, Brother Tart?" Heicha questioned.

"Yeeeeeeees…now go away…"

" Sister Pudding said you weren't feeling good."

"I just need to SLEEP."

Lucha and Cancha ran in. "Everyone, it's time for BREAKFAST!!"

"But we don't wanna go!"

"Sister Pudding said so!"

"But I want to stay with Tar-Tar!"

"You're supposed to call him Brother Tart!"

"But she calls him Tar-Tar!"

The children squabbled and Tart whimpered. Sleep…he just wanted….sleep….he begged for a miracle. Anything that would make them go away…and perhaps a little something to eat. He had been starving since last night.

"Cancha! Hanacha! Lucha! Honcha! Heicha! Why are you bothering Brother Tart? I've already made your breakfast. Go downstairs!" He heard Pudding enter and the children exit. He sighed with relief and looked out from the covers.

Pudding stood there in her nightgown holding a silver platter. A little stack of pancakes drizzled in syrup sat elegantly on a porcelain plate. A glass of milk was beside it and a tiny vase with a flower in it gave it a room service touch. The miracle he had asked for came in the form of a little girl and pancakes. He eyed the meal ravenously but acted uninterested.

"I brought you some breakfast. I know you're hungry." she said.

"What? What are you talking about?" he shot back.

"Your stomach growled all night. Don't think I didn't hear it!" She smiled and set the tray on his lap, her usual smile stretched across her face. "Well, dig in!"

And he gave into the pangs of hunger that had been driving them both nuts. Without bothering to use the fork and knife, he crammed whole pancakes in his mouth. Pudding did not find it at all repulsive. Having spent a few years taking care of her brothers and sisters, she'd seen a lot worse. "How are they?"

"Okay, I guess," he said between bites. This meant he loved them and he couldn't be more thankful.

'Well, I guess I won't try to make her cry, then.' He thought as he polished off the pancakes and moved on to the sausage, 'If anything, she's like a sister or something. I guess I could tolerate her.'

=.=

"Keiichiro needed my help making new pastries," Ryou said as he approached the front door. A firm neck brace prevented his head from turning to her right away. "Thanks for the hospitality. But I think that if I stay any longer, my leg's gonna end up broken."

Lettuce wore a hurt look on her face and Ryou quickly added, "Just kidding. I had a great time. Thanks for being my nurse." He grinned and so did she.

"Thank you for coming, Ryou," she said softly, then, hesitating, she gave him a hug. His grin widened a little. "A hug? Wow, haven't had one of those in a LONG time."

She wanted to tell him how much she liked him. How special he made her feel. She wanted to be the one to bring him happiness when he was lonely. His coming to her house made it worse for her to say goodbye.

She pulled out of the hug gently, and started to head back into the house, but her foot accidentally crossed with his, resulting in both of them landing face flat on the ground.

"My leg!!" Ryou yelped.

(Tsumina: Yes, that was a bit of an awkward chapter, I know. And kinda awkward. Sorry, guys. It'll be better though! Special thanks to Mew Ki, my first reviewer! And to Kuro-015 and GenkiAnimeGurl, KrysofDeath, ILoveRyouandPaiandKish, hi, Kohikari, and our special guest, Cooking Spray! Yaaay!)


	5. Rushes

**Are You Ready to Rumble?**

A Tokyo Mew Mew Story by Tsumina

Lettuce scrambled to her feet. "Oh shoot, shoot, shoot!"

Ryou lay sprawled on his stomach, twitching in pain. His leg was twisted in a very uncomfortable position. "Gggh…Nnnnhhh…..Fwlstrrfffuffffff….."

"W-What?"

"If you don't want me to leave, a simple 'don't go' would do."

"No no! That's not what I…I really didn't mean to!"

"Forget it," Ryou replied, attempting a smile, though it escaped in a pained wince. Lettuce supported him on her shoulder and they both hobbled over to the sofa again. "Look, this can't be fixed with a first aid kit. Just help me get to the hospital."

The jittery girl bit her lip. "But the hospital is at least three miles off. My mom's got her car. I know yours is outside, but I've never driven before."

"You're gonna have to try."

"But-!"

"Either you learn to drive, or you can watch my leg swell to the width of a watermelon. Ever seen a swollen, broken leg before?" He made a move to pull his pant leg up, but Lettuce quickly averted her gaze.

"No no, we'll get you to the hospital. I'm sorry. But you're going to have to guide me through every step."

Ryou gave her a reassuring wink. "How hard could that be?"

"The mall?" Pie raised an eyebrow. "The mall is…?"

"Shopping place," said Zakuro, "Lots of people, all of them scrambling for new things they don't need."

"Why are you going?" He sat on the foot of her bed as she rummaged through her drawers in search of something.

"It's all part of being a model. There's a fashion show going on there. A charity thing. I thought it was a good cause, seeing as it's to benefit an orphanage. Of course, I don't expect you to want to come to that sort of thing. A lotta guys don't tend to enjoy fashion shows."

Pie did not answer to the comment. He watched her toss various clothes on the floor. "What are you looking for?"

"For these." She pulled out a black T-shirt, black cargo pants with various silver chains, and a box of jewelry. The alien looked questioningly at the clothing selection.

"Do humans not wear various colors?"

"Your complexion is far too pale for any human being. Goth is the only way to somewhat explain you. You've got the gloomy attitude anyway."

"You do too," Pie replied curtly, "Why don't _you _dress in dark colors?"

Somewhat shocked by the observation and following question, Zakuro looked up from what she was doing and blinked.

"I'm not _touching _you…" Kish coaxed, holding the tip of his index finger about a millimeter from Masaya's cheek. Masaya leaned away from the pesky alien, who continued to keep his finger within a short distance from his face. "I'm not _touching _you!"

Ichigo watched despondently on the couch. "Kish…"

"Not _touching_..."

"Kish."

"Not _touching_ you!"

"KISH."

"Not—"

In the blink of an eye, Masaya had grabbed a magazine off the coffee table and slapped Kish in the face. Kish fell backward, upsetting a few of the throw pillows behind him. "Ichigo! He hurt me!"

Masaya stood up and stormed off to the kitchen, and Ichigo shot a glare at Kish. Kish wasn't usually intimidated by a mere facial expression. But the one that she gave him was so similar to his mother's scolding face that he even whimpered and hid behind the couch.

"Let's just go to the mall," Ichigo sighed, exasperated. She held her head in her hands. Hopefully she'd lose them both, if only for a little while.

"Mint speaking."

"Mint, this is Ichigo."

"Ichigo! You interrupted my tea-time."

"This is more important than that! These two are driving me nuts! What was I thinking when I let both of them bunk here at the same time?"

"You were just being your careless self, that's all. I forgive you."

"You're not helping! Look, I'm bringing them to the mall for a while. Could you come with me? Please? Please?"

"I'll have to check my schedule."

"Miiiiint!"

"Oh _fine_. I'll meet you there at three."

"Thank you so much!"

"Mmm…buh bye."

"I'll talk to you la—KISH! PUT THAT DOWN NOW!" Crash, shatter. Click.

"Slow down! Slow! Lettuce, PLEASE!"

Lettuce slammed her foot down on the brake. The car lurched forward and stopped. Ryou clutched at his chest, which carried a palpitating heart. "J-J-Just…go…slow…you only need to press the accelerator LIGHTLY."

"Like this?"

"Ya, like that. Watch the pedestrian WATCH THE PEDESTRIAN!"

"Okay okay!" Again, she hit the brakes. The seatbelt did nothing for Ryou. He ran straight into the dashboard, then sat up with a bloody nose.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Please…just keep driving. Please."

(Tsumina: wow, how long has it been? Well, I really thought the story had gone absolutely no where, and I assumed the story was dead already. So I stopped for…hm…a year, I think? Let me check…geez! I stopped in freshman year, and I'm a junior right now! But Ichigogal sent me an email asking me to continue. All for you, Ichigo-chan!)


	6. Lingerie

**Are You Ready To Rumble?**

A Tokyo Mew Mew Story by Tsumina

"Thank you for meeting me here today," the cloaked figure mumbled.

"Why are you wearing a cloak?"

"I must not be found. Please, if you have any ounce of mercy, you'll do this for me."

"Ichigo…" Mint yanked the hood off of Ichigo's head. "You're acting way too weird for my tastes. Stop that."

Ichigo Momomiya whimpered and said, "But I can't stand this any longer! Please, please! Hide them at your house! I need a break."

No such luck. Mint frowned at her friend and gave her a swift yet gentle slap across the cheek. "That should teach you to have two boyfriends at once."

"THEY'RE NOT MY BOYFRIENDS! W-W-Well, Masaya is, but Kish isn't. I didn't CHOSE to—"

"Blah blah," Mint sighed, scanning the food court. The two weren't hard to find. Kish, with his long ears, pale face and greenish hair, immediately caught her eye. "There he is. HEY KISH! OVER HERE! OVER- mmph!" Ichigo clapped a hand over Mint's mouth.

"I beg of youuu! Don't call them here! They'll find me!"

"They're your guests-"

"I don't caaaaare! Waaaa, you're so mean, Mint!" And Ichigo jetted off into a woman's haven, a.k.a Victoria's Secret, while Kish and Masaya rushed towards Mint.

"Mint! Where'd Ichigo run off to?" Masaya demanded.

With an indifferent expression, Mint shrugged, took them both by the hand, and led them into Victoria's Secret. Masaya, of course, was extremely reluctant. Being caught in a lingerie shop by one of his former classmates was the last thing he wanted. He tugged at Mint's hand, but her unyielding grasp had him trapped like an animal. Kish, who was used to minimal clothing, only noticed that the shop was peculiar in that about 75 of the merchandise was pink.

Though none of the underwear caught his eye, Masaya's nervous expression couldn't have called to him more. He smirked.

"What's the matter with you?"

"N-Nothing. Get away from me."

"Is there something about the merchandise that bothers you?"

"Get AWAY."

"Oh, fine." Kish whistled a few notes as he pretended to head to the back of the shop. Masaya sighed with relief until…

"Hey Masaya, CATCH!"

The boy spun around, only to have pink, silky underwear slapped in his face by none other than his pesky alien roommate.

"UUGH!" Masaya stumbled and fell backwards, knocking over a stock of bras. It hit the poor boy like an avalanche. A cups, B cups, C cups and D…all of it came so fast. He emerged from the mess with a bra-strap still clinging to his ear. His face was very red.

"WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU!" he screeched, and yanking the bra off his ear, he made a move to strangle Kish with it.

"MASAYA?"

The combatants looked up and saw Ichigo. She was pale and wore an expression of utter shock. "I leave you alone for two minutes, and…and LOOK!" She angrily gestured to the spilled lingerie. "I can't stand you! BOTH OF YOU! STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

And with that, the young heroine stormed off. Mint entered the scene, her arms crossed over her chest, wearing the same look of indifference.

"Great job, guys. You made her mad. Oh, and watch out. The store clerk is about to call nail you with some pepper spray."

Ryou dove out of the car, his leg uselessly flopping behind him. The car jerked about until Lettuce was finally able to gear-shift to "Park".

"Shoulda called an ambulance." Ryou muttered. His driver slammed the door behind her and rushed to his side.

"I'm so sorry! Please, I really didn't mean it!"

"It's…it's not your fault, Lettuce." Feigning a smile was becoming more and more difficult, but nonetheless, he grinned and continued, "It's my fault. Don't worry. Just…somehow, it's my fault. Bad karma. Come on, let's get to the emergency room."

They awkwardly made their way to the automatic doors, and into the emergency room. The receptionist looked up from her work. "Yes?"

"I broke Ryou's leg!" Lettuce whimpered.

"Ryou?" The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "The same Ryou who tried to inject our nurses with that weird liquid? That 'experiment' you said would save the world? And the same Ryou who killed the vending machine because it was out of your favorite soda? And the same Ryou who disassembled his bed and used the parts for an escape—"

"Yes yes, that was me," the blonde boy said hurriedly. "Look, my leg's important to me. Get someone to fix it."

"Mmm, just as long as you don't attempt to knock out the doctor again." She handed him some papers. "Fill these out, if you will."

"But it's an emergency!"

"Sir, please sit down."

"LET ME THROUGH!" Ryou limped towards the operating room.

"Ryou, PLEASE!" Lettuce called out, but the receptionist put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. He comes in here often. At least once a month. We have to go through the same procedure everytime, the boy's so rowdy." She pressed a red button on the wall, and several SWAT team members came in, tranquilizers ready.

((Tsumina: Wow, I was so excited when I saw how many people were actually waiting for me to update! I didn't realize I was keeping so many of you waiting, and I do apologize. Thanks for your wonderful comments! I treasure each and every one of them ))


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